The diary of Dad

It is often considered that television and kids are not a healthy combination. For generations, the most popular kids programmes have often offered very little in terms of education or development but things are a little different now.

The introduction of YouTube as well as a huge choice of shows available 24/7 has given much greater control to parents over what TV kids are watching and allows us to find shows they will be both enjoy and benefit from.

For the purpose of this post, I’ll be purely looking at the best YouTube channels available but it is also worth checking out many other TV stations to find something your kid will love. The channels below are those that my Son, Robbie, watches with us and I am happy to recommend to others.

Robbie is two years old but enjoys some shows perhaps targeted at an older audience and there are a few he still likes from his younger days which he maybe needs to let go! As such, these channels are worth checking out for parents with kids in the preschool age range.

The top 10 best kids channels on YouTube

Brain candy Tv

This is possibly the top choice in our house. It is purely educational but the bright colours and vehicles in each show really captures Robbie’s attention making it ideal for us all.

Brain candy TV is perfect for kids learning basic shapes, numbers and letters. Many of the shows use vehicles to aid the learning such as monster trucks and tractors so if your child has a like of motors this is certainly for you.

Cocomelon

This one is a little livelier. Cocomelon is entirely devoted to music, both common nursery rhymes and many original songs. Featuring a family of young children it covers all aspects of a child’s life from brushing teeth and potty training through to school.

Cocomelon also has songs about colours, numbers and shapes. Anything educational for a child… They have a song about it! This YouTube channel is great for preschoolers who like to have a sing and dance as well as parents that like to join in.

Tomoncar

Another car one, Robbie just loves cars! The Tomon channel is relatively new and yet to take over the world. The concept is pretty simple really, plenty of bright colours with stories played out by monster trucks all set to a backing track of upbeat nursery rhyme music. One of those that he is perhaps getting a little old for, this channel is perfect for young toddlers.

Leo the truck (KidsFirstTV)

I love Leo. In our house, Leo represents calm. He is a helpful little truck who comes to the aid of his friends in every episode with a little touch of his building expertise. Much slower paced than many kids YouTube channels it is perfect for relaxing before bedtime or when you just need a little bit of peace. There is also a “Sing with Leo” show for kids that love the character but want something a little more fast paced.

Badamanu

My personal favourite as far as musical channels go, Badamanu has everything. This popular kids YouTube channel has stayed the journey so far from baby through to hyperactive toddler and we still love it.

When Robbie was first learning to walk a little we would dance every day to ‘five little friends’ and as he got older he now rocks out to songs such as ‘ponytail.’ There are songs that are great for a bit of learning but for me, this channel is all about getting up and having a dance to burn off a little excess energy!

Tayo the little bus

This little bus seems to have made himself into a YouTube sensation. He has been around for years and now has a huge range of toys and shows all over the internet based around his adventures.

The general story is the busy life of Tayo which ranges from a few local routes to saving the world from an alien invasion. Obviously. Each episode comes complete with a moral life lesson and in much the same way as Leo, there is also a a wide range of musical numbers available featuring the same characters.

Blippi

Since we are on the subject of YouTube sensations, there is no better time to mention this man. Those that have read my posts before will be well aware I see him as some kind of strange enemy, though Robbie seems to see him as a messiah.

Blippi is odd. A fully grown man dressed up in a strange blue and orange outfit generally acting like a bit of an idiot. His shows certainly have elements of educational content but these are somewhat overshadowed by his constant self promotion and salesmanship. Despite my feelings, he is obviously hugely popular with toddlers so deserves to make this list. His millions of YouTube subscribers would kill me if he didn’t!

Little baby bum

Ignore the name, this is one of the best kids channels on YouTube. Very similar in style to Cocomelon, it is an entirely musical channel focusing on kids development with fun songs and friendly faces. It is also available in a wide variety of languages and has a spin off called LBB, which is aimed at younger toddlers.

Sesame Street

I loved Sesame Street when I was a child but must admit I had always assumed it died around twenty years ago. How wrong I was.

Sesame Street is still the place to go for preschoolers all these years later and is a great channel for both kids and adults wanting to remember their own childhood! Elmo, Big Bird and The Cookie Monster are all still here and waiting for you.

Coilbook

Coilbook is huge. Describing itself as “The best educational multimedia for children on YouTube” is fair and it is ine of the biggest YouTube channels for toddlers.

There is a wide range of shows available here with something for everyone. You have possibly realised Robbie’s vehicle obsession by now so it will come as no surprise that our favourite is the real city heroes. One particular trilogy focusing on sergeant Cooper’s time travel adventure is almost cinematic in both length and detail and is one of the few shows that will keep our boy sat down and calm for more than five minutes. I can’t argue with that.

So that’s it. The best kids channels on YouTube, in my humble opinion! Of course everyone has different opinions and if there are any shows I’ve missed or that you would recommend for Robbie to watch then please let us know in the comment section below.

Thanks for reading, Steve.